Can you run hot water to an outdoor shower?

Yes. Both the Coogee and Bronte showers are plumbed with hot and cold and brass quarter-turn taps, so they run as proper warm showers. We tie into the existing hot and cold lines and fit isolation taps so the shower can be shut off when it is not in use.

Does a copper outdoor shower need much maintenance?

Very little. Copper needs no painting and stands up well to coastal weather. Left alone it weathers naturally to a deeper bronze, which most people prefer. If you would rather keep it bright, it can be polished and sealed.

Do I need a licensed plumber to install an outdoor shower?

Yes. In NSW any work connecting to the water supply must be done by a licensed plumber, including the drainage and any backflow protection. A custom copper build also needs clean soldered joints and correct falls so it lasts and drains properly.

What does a custom copper outdoor shower cost?

It depends on whether you want hot and cold or cold only, the fixtures you choose, and how far the shower sits from the existing water lines. The best way to get a real figure is a quick look and a quote. Give Norton Plumbing a call and we can talk through options for your space.

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Case study · 4 min read

Copper outdoor shower installs, Sydney

Custom copper outdoor showers, built from scratch for Eastern Suburbs back gardens. Two recent jobs: a slat-screen shower in Coogee and a rain shower on a black timber fence in Bronte.

Norton Plumbing · 25 June 2026

Blake from Norton Plumbing standing beside a finished copper outdoor shower on a timber slat screen at a Mount Street home in Coogee

An outdoor shower has become one of the most popular additions to an Eastern Suburbs back garden: somewhere to rinse off after the beach, hose down the dog, or cool off in summer. The ones people fall for are not plastic kits bolted to a wall. They are custom copper, built on site to suit the spot. Here are two we have put in recently.

Why copper for an outdoor shower

Copper earns its place in a garden near the coast. It stands up to salt air and weather, needs no painting, and slowly weathers to a deeper bronze as it ages, so it looks better with each season rather than tired. Every length of pipe is hand bent and soldered on site, which means the shower is shaped to fit the wall it sits against, not forced to fit a flat-pack.

Mount Street, Coogee: copper shower on a timber slat screen

Blake built this one against a rendered wall in a leafy Coogee courtyard. A timber slat screen sets off the copper and hides the wall behind, while the riser runs up to a vintage-style rose that drops a wide, soft rainfall. Both hot and cold are plumbed in with brass quarter-turn taps, so it runs as a proper warm shower, not just a cold garden tap.

Blake from Norton Plumbing in a branded polo fitting the copper rose to the riser on the Mount Street outdoor shower in Coogee — Blake fitting the copper rose on the Mount Street job, Coogee. Hot and cold both run up to the head, finished with brass taps.

Bronte: copper rain shower on a black timber fence

In Bronte, Greg built a copper rain shower against a black timber fence at the edge of the garden. A tall riser climbs the fence, a gooseneck arm reaches out over the garden bed, and the same vintage-style rose drops the rainfall. Set against the dark timber with citrus trees behind it, the finished shower reads as a feature, not a fixture.

Finished copper outdoor rain shower running against a black timber fence in a Bronte garden, installed by Norton Plumbing — The finished Bronte shower running. A wide, soft rainfall from the copper rose, plumbed hot and cold.

Close up of an aged copper rainfall shower rose against the evening sky in a Bronte garden — Close up of the copper rose at Bronte. Copper needs no painting and weathers to a deeper bronze over time.

Plumbed to last

Because these showers carry both hot and cold and sit out in the weather, the work that matters is the part you do not see: clean soldered joints, proper falls, and isolation taps so the shower can be shut off and drained down over winter. Done right, an outdoor shower is a one-time install that simply works for years. For taps, mixers and fixture work, see our tap and toilet repairs.

Thinking about an outdoor shower?

You need hot and cold water within reach, a spot that drains away cleanly, and ideally a wall or fence to mount against. We handle the lot, from the rough-in to the final copper fit-off, across Coogee, Bronte and the rest of the Eastern Suburbs. Give Norton Plumbing a call and we can talk through what would suit your space.

Frequently asked

Common questions

Can you run hot water to an outdoor shower?: Yes. Both the Coogee and Bronte showers are plumbed with hot and cold and brass quarter-turn taps, so they run as proper warm showers. We tie into the existing hot and cold lines and fit isolation taps so the shower can be shut off when it is not in use.
Does a copper outdoor shower need much maintenance?: Very little. Copper needs no painting and stands up well to coastal weather. Left alone it weathers naturally to a deeper bronze, which most people prefer. If you would rather keep it bright, it can be polished and sealed.
Do I need a licensed plumber to install an outdoor shower?: Yes. In NSW any work connecting to the water supply must be done by a licensed plumber, including the drainage and any backflow protection. A custom copper build also needs clean soldered joints and correct falls so it lasts and drains properly.
What does a custom copper outdoor shower cost?: It depends on whether you want hot and cold or cold only, the fixtures you choose, and how far the shower sits from the existing water lines. The best way to get a real figure is a quick look and a quote. Give Norton Plumbing a call and we can talk through options for your space.

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